This series is all about how to avoid strokes, or at least greatly reduce your risk of having one. But, what if worse comes to worse and you have a stroke? Would you realize it? What if a friend or family member you are with has a stroke? Would you recognize it? Would you know to get help right away? And why is that so important?
Let me tell you about several of my patients who, for one reason or another, arrived in the emergency department much too late…
One woman seemed to lose her balance and then spent three days in bed sleeping, according to her husband and son. They thought that she had simply overdone it in preparing for the upcoming holidays. They finally realized that something was amiss and they brought her to the emergency department. A CT scan of her brain showed that she had bled into her cerebellum. That is one of the more dangerous places to have a stroke.
A second patient developed a sudden, severe headache that would not go away. His wife and daughter tried over and over to get him to go to the emergency room but he wouldn’t go. Two days later he became so sleepy he could no longer refuse. At that point they called an ambulance and he was taken to the emergency department. His brain CT scan also showed a bleed.
Now why would a person, feeling something very abnormal, not go immediately to a hospital? Especially when prodded by close family members? Why would family members not recognize that something was very wrong and get their relative to the emergency department sooner than three days?
Sometimes we think that whatever seems wrong will just get better and go away. Other times we hope it will. The problem is that when we are speaking of something as serious as a stroke, time is of the essence. A stroke means that brain cells are injured and dying.
Most strokes occur because a part of the brain doesn’t get enough blood and oxygen. These are ischemic strokes. An artery in the brain or on the way to the brain gets blocked by a blood clot or a piece of plaque. Brain cells lose their blood and oxygen supply and die in minutes.
Hemorrhagic strokes occur when a blood vessel in or around the brain bursts. Although only 13% of strokes in the USA are hemorrhagic, they account for 30% of deaths due to stroke.
If the person doesn’t die they can suffer very serious injury. Brain injury can be devastating and irreversible. The best chance that any of us has, if we have a stroke, is to obtain emergency care as soon as possible!
If you have a stroke, how do you know? How do you recognize that someone you are with is having a stroke?
Here are the most common signs of a stroke:
- Sudden headache with no cause
- Sudden dizziness
- Sudden confusion
- Sudden difficulty speaking and/or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden weakness of the face or in an arm or leg, especially if it is on one side of the body
- Sudden numbness of the face or in an arm or leg, especially if it is on one side of the body
- Sudden difficulty walking
- Sudden loss of balance or coordination
You may have noticed the “sudden” occurrence of these signs. That is a hallmark of illnesses caused by blood vessel problems. You don’t have to experience all of them to be having a stroke. Also, the symptoms may only last a short time. If you or someone you are with experiences even one of these you must get help immediately. Get help even if the warning sign goes away and you then feel normal. Two million brain cells can die every minute during a stroke. The sooner you get to a hospital, the sooner you will get treatment that may save your life. The amount of time it takes you to start getting care may mean the difference between returning to your previous independent lifestyle and requiring nursing home care, a walker or wheelchair, etc.
A woman was speaking to her daughter on the phone. Her daughter noticed that her mother suddenly began to slur her words. She kept her mother on the phone and used a cellphone to call 911. An ambulance quickly arrived and transported her mother to the nearest emergency room. She was diagnosed with a stroke, and admitted to the intensive care unit. She made a full recovery. The first two patients I mentioned? They died.
You don’t want to have a stroke. That’s why you’re here reading this. You don’t want any of your family or friends to have a stroke. But, if you experience any of those warning signs, you might be having a stroke. Get help immediately! Save those brain cells! Save your life, or someone else’s.
Every day …say NO to stroke!
Look at the featured image at the very top of this post. What type of stroke is shown? Leave your answer in the comments section below. Not sure? Read yesterday’s post.
